Western Ontario Drama League | |
Newsletter September 2024 | |
- Adjudications Update
- WODL AGM - Leamington - 1:00 pm Sunday 6 October 2024
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Update Group President and Group Delegates Information
- No Theatre Should Be An Island
- Hairdryer Chairs for Steel Magnolias - Free from Binbrook Little Theatre
- Community Theatre in the WODL Region
- What's Happening in the Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk-Oxford Region
- What's Happening in the Bruce-Grey-Huron Region
- Off the Wall - October Courses
- Playwrights Canada Press
- 10 Things to Know About Stage Lighting - Horizon Solutions - 7:00 pm Sept 10
- Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet
- Concord Theatricals New Plays
- If you are Producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out
- Is your WODL Membership Information Up-to-date?
- Dates for your Diary
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By Ken Menzies, WODL Adjudications Chair, adjudications@wodl.on.ca | |
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This coming dramatic year there will be two periods of adjudication – the Tuesday after Labour Day, September 3, 2024, to the end of September 2024 (Monday, September 30, 2024) - and the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (October 15, 2024), to Sunday April 6, 2025. This differs from last dramatic year by adding an adjudication period in September, an addition to respond to requests from some WODL groups who wanted to put on an adjudicated musical in September. If you are interested in having an adjudication in September then please submit the form below as soon as possible. So far, I have received no applications for this period. However, all dates for a possible adjudication require the pre-Festival adjudicator’s (Trevor Diggins’) approval so I cannot guarantee you your choice of date until I have consulted with him.
If you are interested in having an adjudication between October 15, 2024, and April 6, 2025, please fill in the application form below any time before September 20. Late applications can be submitted and will be accommodated if I can fit them into the schedule and the travelling adjudicator agrees (after the initial schedule is established the travelling adjudicator can make commitments that do not conflict with the adjudication schedule, so his approval is not to be assumed.) Please note that I will not move the adjudication date of a group that has been given an adjudication. Thus, if applying late for an adjudication, please check the adjudication schedule on the WODL website, https://wodl.on.ca to ensure that you are not asking for a date that has already been assigned.
After you have received a date for your adjudication, the WODL Treasurer, Peter Busby (treasurer@wodl.on.ca) will bill you for your adjudication(s).
If you wish to have two adjudications, please submit a separate form for each adjudication. There will be a 3-play Festival in 2025 at The Bank Theatre in Leamington on the Victoria Day weekend (Plays on Thursday, May15 2025, Friday, May 16, 2025, and Saturday May 17, 2025, with an awards brunch on Sunday May 18, 2025) to which you are invited. Please note that you must indicate which play you wish to be eligible for awards if you submit two plays to be adjudicated out-of-Festival. In addition, please indicate whether you wish your play to be in-Festival (i.e. are willing take your play to Leamington and put your play on between May 15 and 17, 2025. When you play is put on in Leamington, it will be adjudicated by the in-Festival adjudicator).
Application for Adjudication Forms
Select an application form:
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I will acknowledge your application as soon as I can.
If you have questions about your adjudication, then please email me or phone 519 821-9389 (11-12 and 5:30-9;30 are the best times to phone).
Trial Adjudications
In addition, to preparing for next dramatic year’s adjudications, I have been asking various groups to host a trial adjudication between September 2024 and the end of April 2025. One trial adjudication will be for Costin Manu, an experienced professional director and actor and theatre administrator who would like to be a Festival adjudicator. The other trial adjudication would be for David Amour who has adjudicating experience, has directed numerous school productions and is currently President of Goderich Little Theatre who would like to be a travelling adjudicator for WODL I am optimistic that some group will provide each of these potential adjudicators with a trial adjudication.
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WODL AGM - Leamington - 1:00 pm Sunday 6 October 2024 | |
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The Western Ontario Drama League (WODL) will be holding its Annual General meeting at The Bank Theatre in Leamington on Sunday 6 October 2024.
The Bank Theatre will be the home of the 3-day WODL Festival from 15 May to 18 May 2025. The AGM will be followed by a tour of The Bank Theatre.
This is your chance to find out what WODL has planned for the next year and to take a good look at the facilities that await you at Festival 2025.
All members is good standing with WODL member groups can vote at this meeting.
A formal invitation will be sent to all WODL group delegates and WODL group presidents.
WODL AGM
The Bank Theatre
10 Erie Street South
Leamington, ON, N8H 3W5
For a map, click here
Meeting at 1:00 pm
Followed by a tour of the The Bank Theatre
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Update Group President and Group Delegates Information | |
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WODL communicates with our member groups through the group presidents and the group WODL delegates--two delegates from each group. These people can then pass the information on to the rest of their group membership. Presidents and delegates also receive personal invitations to the WODL general meetings and to the AGM.
Now is a good time to update this information. Make sure that the formal general meeting invitations are sent to the current holders of these positions.
So, presidents and delegates, if you are hiding out there, we need to hear from you!
So if you are the president, or you have been appointed a delegate for your group, please do the following:
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Contact the WODL Membership Chair, Shirley Steele, at membership@wodl.on.ca with this information:
- Your name
- The name of the theatre that you represent
- Your position: president or delegate.
- Your email address
- Your phone number
- Your postal address
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Your contact information will only be used for official WODL purposes. | |
No Theatre Should Be An Island | |
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No Theatre Should Be An Island
based on the poem, "No Man Is An Island" by John Donne (1624)
No theatre should be an island,
Entire of itself,
Every theatre is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If one theatre and its patrons be washed away,
Theatre, as a whole, is the less.
As well as if a single show were.
As well as if a theatre of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any theatre's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in theatre,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
COVID was not kind to the Arts. Whether it was theatre, dance, visual arts or music, it dimmed the lights and emptied the seats. While COVID seems to still be kicking around, the shows must go on.
You are reading this article because you love theatre. You missed it when it was gone. Perhaps you love watching an actor hit their mark on stage so the spotlight you set hits them perfectly. Maybe you love watching an audience jump to their feet and applaud a group of incredibly generous volunteer actors who have spent countless hours crafting a play that you had a role in picking. Whatever your role in theatre, you love it.
This is a time when we need to spread our collective love to all our theatres in Western Ontario and beyond. We need to help each other so our theatres aren’t isolated and lonely islands, but vibrant islands with bridges that connect them all.
In my role as Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Theatre Woodstock, I have spent the last 365 days (as of September 5, 2023, at 2PM) trying my very best to put “bums back in seats.” I would like to think that I have also helped other theatres in my area do the same. Here is a list of some bridges that I made this past season:
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Intermission Information - Intermission is a great time to share a quick summary of all the shows that are coming up locally. The audience are clearly theatre-goers and even if another theatre has the same run time or, heck, even the same show as yours, they might be looking for another night out, especially since we spent so much time not allowed out.
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Poster Partners - We share our show posters with the three other Oxford County theatres as soon as they are ready. We email them out and request them in return from other theatres. Honestly, I have delivered quite a few posters myself as I like to see all the shows that my county has to offer. Additionally, we’ll add other theatres’ posters to our digital program and Box Office door. In Oxford County, other theatres have graciously added our posters to their printed programs and community boards.
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Professional Pairing - We created partnerships with professional theatres in Ontario. For example, this past season our Senior Company of STAGES (youth program) presented Something Rotten! in late May. Stratford Festival provided us with a unique QR code for our printed program which could be used to purchase tickets at a discount. They also gave us deeply discounted tickets so our young actors could go and see another version of their show…AND provided them with a “Meet the Actor” session after the show! Recently, our four Oxford County theatres are in the beginning stages of a cross-promotional program with the Foster Festival in St. Catharines, ON, as we are all producing Norm Foster plays this coming season.
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Community Collaborations - Consider heading out into the community with creative approaches to spreading the word about your shows. For example, ITOPA paired with the Ingersoll Public Library and offered a murder mystery night which tied in nicely with their run of Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap. The Woodstock and Ingersoll Library were ecstatic to host “Storytime with Cinderella” to packed crowds of little kids wearing prince and princess costumes. They also loved a photoshoot session with our Matilda at seven libraries across Oxford County AND a read-aloud visit from the Paper Bag Princess who was starring in Munsch at Play in a few months with our STAGES’ program. These libraries are now more than happy to hang our posters for us on their community boards and are eager to plan more activities in our coming season.
With these ideas and more, you can build bridges for your theatre which will only result in new patrons, and a greater community connection to live theatre. Book a coffee or tea brainstorming session with a bunch of creative minds at your theatre and be sure to invite other local theatres as well. Heck, drop me an email (marketing@theatrewoodstock.com) and I’ll see if I can join you. Many minds make light work and your theatres will thank you!
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Hairdryer Chairs for Steel Magnolias - Free from Binbrook Little Theatre | |
Binbrook Little Theatre has a set of hairdryer chairs that were used for their production of Steel Magnolias. If you are interested in acquiring them, contact Shirley Marshall at shirley@wodl.on.ca, within the next couple of weeks. After that they will be disposed of. | |
Community Theatre in the WODL Region | |
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A good place to find out about what other WODL groups are doing is the WODL Facebook page, WODL | Facebook. Most of the announcements are at fairly short notice, so check in often!
If your group is putting on an event that you would like included in the October newsletter, please send the information to communications@wodl.on.ca.
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What's Happening in the Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk-Oxford Region | |
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Paris Performers’ Theatre:
Big Congratulation are in order for PPT. After a year of hard work, this group of dedicated members have managed to raise funds through a number of events, find a new home and are now holding auditions for their first production.
September 15th to 17th AUDITIONS for Enchanted Christmas, an original festive pantomime; email ParisPerformersTheatre@gmail.com to learn more or to book your audition slot!
September 16th 2024: Monthly Membership Meeting: Show Support for Enchanted Christmas - getting involved in the backstage and behind the scenes elements of the production- 7-9 at St. Paul’s United Church.
September 21st Paris Performers Theatre' are thrilled to be a part of the 10 Minute Play Competition and Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant's Grand River Arts Festival 2024 with Heard Mentality a tender and light-hearted play about disability, dating and daring oneself to grow; directed by Anna Carter, written by Allison Fradkin, starring Madison Kohli, Deanna Stevens and Cheryl Brownell.
September 28th Paris Performers' Theatre is so excited to have been chosen to be a part of Culture Days and we have been sponsored with a grant from the County of Brant to bring a day of Taster Workshops, free to all who want to attend at St. Paul’s United Church:
- 10:15 - “Stage Voice for Kids” (kids 8-13) with Madison Kohli
- 11:15 - “Deepening the Truth of Monologues” with Susanne Burchell
- 12:15 - “Questions to Ask your Character” with Nessie Aly Hill
- 1:15 - “Voice for the Live Stage” (adults only) with Marian Smith
- 2:15 - “Directing a Play” with Susan Digman
PPT has also instituted a series of Monthly Membership Meetings in order to connect with their community, to delegate and deliver roles, responsibilities and other actions for PPT; each meeting will give a general update on operations and happenings but will also have a specific focus, members and non-members are currently allowed to attend as we grow our existing membership.
Theatre Tillsonburg:
Theatre Tillsonburg enjoyed successful “kids summer camps” again this year.
They just held auditions for their season opener Steele Magnolias which runs November 7-17, 2024.
Theatre Woodstock:
Theatre Woodstock and its youth program, STAGES, kicked off the 2024-2025 season with a very successful run of Annie Kids from August 22-24. Forty-nine Summer Camp actors between the ages of 6 and 14 shone on that stage as bright as the top of the Chrysler Building!
Are you ready to step into the spotlight and belt out your favourite showtunes? Whether you're a Broadway star in the making or just love a good sing-along, our Showtunes Karaoke Night is the place to be! Come on out on Friday September 6 at 6:30PM, for this FREE event.
On Saturday, September 28 at 7:30PM, and Sunday September 29 at 2PM, take a trip down music memory lane. Memories of Motown is a unique presentation which combines captivating video and dynamic live audio as it highlights the award-winning artists and ground-breaking songs from the MOTOWN Recording Studio in Detroit, Michigan. Don't delay and get your tickets today!
We have now completed auditions for My Old Lady (runs October 17-27, 2024), Festival of One Act Plays 4 (runs November 15-17, 2024) and A Snow White Christmas (runs December 5-15, 2024). We had an overwhelming number of new faces come out for the Festival of One Act Plays 4 with almost a third of the thirty auditioners being new to our theatre's community.
Finally, in September, Theatre Woodstock will be holding auditions for Cabaret on Sunday September 29, and Monday September 30. Both sessions run from 6:30-9:30PM and registration for a time slot is necessary. All the details and registration can be found here or under the tab "Auditions" on the Theatre Woodstock website.
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What's Happening in the Bruce-Grey-Huron Region | |
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Owen Sound Little Theatre:
Prelude to a Kiss. Directed by Kevin Haskell. Rehearsals begin in September.
Goderich Little Theatre:
Pirates of Penzance. Fall performance.
Now auditioning for The Play that Goes Wrong. September 4-8
Kincardine Theatre Guild:
Streamliners. Directed by Duncan MacGregor. Tickets available August 19.
Pirates of Penzance auditions already held . Fall performance.
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Off the Wall - October Courses | |
By Michele Boniface, Chair, Off the Wall Stratford Artists Alliance, mboniface@cyg.net
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Check out these new books from Playwrights Canada Press!
Recently released:
The Green Line | خطّ التماس by Makram Ayache, translated by Hiba Sleiman
A poetic, heartbreaking story of intergenerational queer history in Lebanon, The Green Line weaves together the story of Rami, a twentysomething queer Lebanese Canadian, who has returned to the Lebanese mountains to bury his father, and the story of Naseeb, who, amid the Lebanese Civil War, is attempting to get himself and his sister Mona out of Beirut and into the safety of the mountains. Together, these stories intertwine to reveal one family’s journey to discover their past.
Ravage of Life by Evelyne de la Chenelière, translated by Louise H. Forsyth
For three years, Evelyne de la Chenelière wrote on the entrance wall of Montréal’s Espace GO theatre as part of an artistic residency that would profoundly shake her practice. The culmination of this is La vie utile [translated as Ravage of Life], a bold departure from prevailing norms where the author breaks with textual and performative conventions in her dramatization of a multi-faceted instant between life and death.
Coming soon:
Fall On Your Knees adapted by Alisa Palmer & Hannah Moscovitch
In an adaptation of the classic Canadian novel, this epic play follows three generations of a Cape Breton Island family in a tale of forbidden love, inescapable bonds, and devastating betrayals, all while harbouring secrets that threaten to shatter the family entirely.
+ see what else is coming soon!
Did you know you can browse our plays by subjects and casting?
Want to hear more about sales and upcoming events? Sign up for our newsletter!
You can find more new releases, a blog full of interviews and excerpts, and more on playwrightscanada.com.
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10 Things to Know About Stage Lighting - Horizon Solutions - 7:00 pm September 10 | |
By Samadhi Perera, Horizon Solutions, samadhi@horizonsolutions.net | |
Join us this September as we kick off our 2024-2025 Season of Resource Stage with a session focussed on the top 10 things we think you should know about Stage Lighting.
Whether you’re new to lighting concepts or if you’re an enthusiast looking to expand your knowledge, this session will focus on core concepts and key techniques to elevate and enhance your lighting production. Get ready for your next production with Resource Stage!
Register Today! And reserve your spot.
Everyone is welcome to join us on September 10th at Horizon Solutions 1910 Huron Street, London, ON or Online at www.resourcestage.ca
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Playwrights Guild of Canada - Canadian Play Outlet | |
Concord Theatricals New Plays | |
If you are Producing Canadian Plays this Season - Check This Out | |
The Playwrights Guild of Canada publicises productions of Canadian-written plays through its website, www.playwrightsguild.ca.
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Is your WODL Membership Information Up-to-date? | |
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Are you on the board of a theatre group that belongs to WODL? If your group has:
- A new President
- New WODL delegates
- A new Treasurer
Please let our membership chair, Shirley Steele, know at membership@wodl.on.ca
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Deadline for submissions for the Octobernewsletter. | |
Victoria Day Long Weekend, 15 - 18 May 2025 | |
WODL Festival 2025, Leamington. | |
Victoria Day Long Weekend, Sunday 18 May 2025 | |
Awards brunch, Leamington. | |
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This newsletter was prepared by:
Tricia Ward
Communications coordinator
WODL
Western Ontario Drama League | communications@wodl.on.ca | www.wodl.on.ca
Copyright © Western Ontario Drama League 2024. All Rights Reserved.
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